Fablehaven: Chapters 10–13

by Brandon Mull
When Kendra and Seth visit their grandparents, they learn that their grandfather is the caretaker for Fablehaven, a sanctuary for magical creatures.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–15, Chapters 16–19
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. underscore
    give extra weight to
    A long, mournful howl underscored his statement.
  2. lament
    express grief verbally
    The sounds were muffled, but continued: the haunted wind lamenting, the house shuddering, an increasing assortment of shrieks, screams, howls, and wild bursts of gibbering laughter.
  3. mangy
    worn or threadbare
    The animals paused as the light fell on them. Both looked mangy and lean.
  4. reflexive
    without volition or conscious control
    Seth threw open the window.
    “No!” Kendra shouted, although she reflexively wanted to do the same thing.
  5. deft
    skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands
    The baby dove into the room, transforming grotesquely as it landed on the floor in a deft somersault.
  6. scabrous
    rough to the touch, as if covered with scales or projections
    Bald and scabrous on top, the head was fringed by long, weblike hair.
  7. sinuous
    curved or curving in and out
    The sinuous arms were gangly, the hands long and leathery, tipped with hooked claws.
  8. gangly
    tall, thin, and awkward
    The sinuous arms were gangly, the hands long and leathery, tipped with hooked claws.
  9. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    The apparition’s dark hair undulated like vapor in a breeze.
  10. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
    Her pallid face was slightly translucent.
  11. coddle
    treat with excessive indulgence
    The maroon goblin stood near the bed, coddling its bony shoulder.
  12. cavort
    play boisterously
    The maroon goblin cavorted around the room in a feral tantrum, tearing down bookshelves, upsetting toy chests, and snapping the horn off the rocking horse.
  13. ungainly
    lacking grace in movement or posture
    The terrified chicken took to ungainly flight in a flurry of golden feathers.
  14. cacophonous
    having an unpleasant sound
    Outside, the cacophonous uproar resumed louder than ever.
  15. ethereal
    of heaven or the spirit
    Pagan drums, ethereal choirs, tribal chanting, wailing lamentations, guttural snarls, unnatural howls, and piercing screams united in relentless disharmony.
  16. guttural
    relating to or articulated in the throat
    Pagan drums, ethereal choirs, tribal chanting, wailing lamentations, guttural snarls, unnatural howls, and piercing screams united in relentless disharmony.
  17. furor
    a sudden outburst, as of protest
    Late in the night, the furor finally began to relent, replaced by more unnerving sounds.
  18. elicit
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    When that failed to elicit a response, the voices of young children pleaded for help.
  19. supplicant
    one praying humbly for something
    After the cries went ignored for a while, snarls and screams would simulate the demise of the young supplicants.
  20. gouge
    an impression in a surface, as made by a blow
    Kendra knew it would be bad the moment she opened the door. Ragged gouges furrowed the walls of the stairwell.
  21. supine
    lying face upward
    They dashed over to the figure lying supine near an overturned birdbath.
  22. grope
    search blindly or uncertainly
    The satyr stopped short, obviously surprised by the cloud of salt. Seth threw a second handful, groping in his pockets for more.
  23. homespun
    made of cloth woven in one's household
    She had a broad, flat face with saggy earlobes that hung almost to her hefty shoulders. Her misshapen bosom drooped inside a coarse, homespun tunic.
  24. tacitly
    by unexpressed agreement
    He held up a hand, tacitly signaling for them to keep still.
  25. cumbersome
    difficult to handle or use, especially because of size or weight
    Despite her cumbersome size and apparent exhaustion, the misshapen ogress was rapidly gaining.
  26. bluster
    show off
    Don’t worry. We just like to bluster.
  27. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
    The perplexing sound was coming from up ahead. A long, plaintive moan, comparable to a blast from a foghorn.
  28. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
    Seth reappeared in the opening wearing an inscrutable expression.
  29. bovine
    any of various wild or domestic cattle
    She gawked at the colossal bovine in amazement.
  30. copious
    large in number or quantity
    Milk gushed copiously.
  31. conjecture
    the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence
    Then they could base their final decision on the facts of what Muriel would be willing to do, rather than conjecture.
  32. admonition
    cautionary advice about something imminent
    Kendra had already reminded Seth to stay calm and be polite no matter what happened, but she repeated the admonition.
  33. castanets
    pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone made to click together
    They heard strange music as they drew near the shack, like somebody playing a rubber band while clacking castanets.
  34. curtail
    place restrictions on
    Imprisoned in this shack, I am curtailed in my abilities.
  35. impasse
    a situation in which no progress can be made
    “Then we have reached an impasse,” the witch apologized.
  36. deliverance
    recovery or preservation from loss or danger
    However, I give you my word as a practitioner of the ancient art that I will not inflict any harm upon you or your grandmother upon my deliverance from this confinement.
  37. sunder
    break apart or in two, using violence
    “You will voluntarily sunder my last knot, the final impediment to my independence, if I restore your grandmother to her human form?”
  38. indiscretion
    a petty misdeed
    “You have your reward for the services you rendered. You have emerged from confinement. Eviction from this preserve is the consequence of prior indiscretions.”
  39. enmity
    a state of deep-seated ill-will
    “Don’t provoke new enmity. Depart in peace.” Grandma quickened her pace and caught hold of Muriel by the upper arm.
  40. whelp
    young of any of various canines such as a dog or wolf
    “Your recompense is coming, my bold little whelp. I have a long memory.”
Created on Sun Nov 25 20:09:43 EST 2018 (updated Thu Nov 29 15:42:01 EST 2018)

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